Hold Out

See also: Holdout (disambiguation)

Hold Out
Studio album by
Jackson Browne
ReleasedJune 24, 1980
RecordedAutumn 1979 – Spring 1980
Studio
GenreRock
Length37:48
LabelAsylum
ProducerJackson Browne, Greg Ladanyi
Jackson Browne chronology
Running on Empty
(1977) 		Hold Out
(1980) 		Lawyers in Love
(1983)

Hold Out is the sixth album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1980. Although critically the album has not been as well-received as other Browne recordings, it remains his only album to date to reach number 1 on the Billboard chart.

History

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The song "Of Missing Persons" was written for Inara George, the daughter of Lowell George (formerly of the band Little Feat), a songwriting collaborator and longtime friend of Jackson Browne's who died a year prior to the release of Hold Out. The phrase "of missing persons" was derived from a line in a Little Feat song, "Long Distance Love".

The album was certified as a Gold and Platinum record in 1980 by the RIAA. It reached Multi-platinum in 2001.[1]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Robert ChristgauC+[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]

Despite being Browne's only album to date to reach number 1 in the Billboard charts, it received mixed critical reviews. Writing retrospectively for AllMusic, music critic William Rulhmann called some of the tracks awkward or foolish. He compared the album with earlier releases: "If Browne was still trying to write himself out of the cul-de-sac he had created for himself early on, Hold Out represented an earnest attempt that nevertheless fell short."[2] Similarly, critic Robert Christgau wrote: "Never hep to his jive, I'm less than shocked by the generalized sentimentality disillusioned admirers descry within these hallowed tracks, though the one about the late great Lowell George... is unusually rank."[3] The New York Times deemed Hold Out "a fine record; perhaps his finest, overall... It confirms his growth as an artist."[5]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Jackson Browne except where noted.

Side One

  1. "Disco Apocalypse" – 5:08
  2. "Hold Out" – 5:37
  3. "That Girl Could Sing" – 4:34
  4. "Boulevard" – 3:15

Side Two

  1. "Of Missing Persons" – 6:31
  2. "Call It a Loan" (Browne, David Lindley) – 4:35
  3. "Hold On Hold Out" (Browne, Craig Doerge) – 8:08

Personnel

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Production

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  • Producers – Jackson Browne and Greg Ladanyi
  • Production assistance – Rusty Conway and Donald Miller
  • Engineer – Greg Ladanyi
  • Assistant engineers – Brent Averill, Niko Bolas, James Ledner, Jim Nipar, Sergio Reyes, Karen Siegal and George Ybarra.
  • Mixed by Buford Jones
  • Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
  • Album cover – Dawn Patrol
  • Design and photography – Jimmy Wachtel

Charts

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Album – Billboard (United States)

Year Chart Position
1980 Pop Albums 1

Singles – Billboard (United States)

Year Single Chart Position
1980 "Boulevard" Pop Singles 19
1980 "That Girl Could Sing" Pop Singles 22

References

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  1. ^ RIAA Gold and Platinum award. Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved July 20, 2010
  2. ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Hold Out > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "Hold Out > Review". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  5. ^ Rockwell, John (July 13, 1980). "Recordings Reaching Across Racial Barriers". The New York Times. p. A20.
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